Woa!

Rating: 10/10 (22 July 2003)

It's been a few weeks since I've seen this magnificent film, so I have had some much needed time to recover from the aftershock - and I have been able to reflect upon its many layers.
My brother said that although he thoroughly enjoyed the movie, he didn't find it scary at all, so maybe it just depends on the person - but I think this film was one of the most horrifying experiences. Probably because it could really happen and probably because Boyle did not use cartoon like computer monsters, but real people and real ideas to send goose bumps up your spine. The cast was absolutely charming and they kept you completely engaged every second of this creepy yet visually and emotionally satisfying film.
I have to say, I've been impressed with the movies this summer (although technically this was originally released in 2002) -- and this one is no exception! Of course I could only expect a lot when I learned Boyle directed it - he has a gift for hypnotizing his film viewers, and I certainly am not immune to his powers - nor do I want to be!
"28 Days Later" opens with animal activists who free caged apes - little do they know that the monkeys are no ordinary monkeys, but monkeys with a contagious disease. The film follows Cillian Murphy's character after he wakes up in a hospital, naked as the day he was born, to find London evacuated due to an infectious rage among its people that has ravaged the city, as well as other parts of the globe -how far and to what extent we, the audience member, never really learn. But that's not important - the scenario is instantly believable and we are enthralled with the plot right from the get go.
The thought that each one of us, stripped away from rational by a simple illness, can turn into a murderous savage is a hard one to stomach - but also a very intriguing one that can inquire us to determine how far our morals really go when there is no society and when there are only two options - death or survival.
So even if you are a horror flick veteran and an infected won't freak you out - this movie is not one to miss and not one to be taken lightly!